Title: AsylumAuthor: Madeleine Roux
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: August 20th 2013
Pages: Hardcover, 310 pages
Source: Library
Summary from Goodreads:
Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.
As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity..
I have not read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, so I can't speak to their similarities or differences. I have heard that Miss Peregrine's has pictures scattered throughout the books as well. The pictures were a great addition to the story and added a layer of creepiness to the story
The book started off pretty well, I was sufficiently intrigued and creeped out. As the story progressed my intrigue and level of interest kind of plateaued. The secondary characters where all over the place. Jordan's role was unclear, he was beyond moody and his friendship with Dan was just confusing. Abby's mood changes and overall behavior was just odd. Even though it was sorta explained at the end I did not find enough resolution in it.
What truly changed the book from a 4 or 5 star book to a 3 star book was the ending. There was so much build up with so little resolve. I felt like I had more questions after finishing the story. I DISLIKED the villain, the choice made sense but the actions and reasoning behind the villain's actions did not make sense. It all felt forced and a bit convoluted.
I am not jumping up and down to recommend this one. The beginning held promise. A well done story about students staying in a renovated mental asylum has great potential. I think with a different ending I would have enjoyed the story but Asylum did not live up to the potential.
The book started off pretty well, I was sufficiently intrigued and creeped out. As the story progressed my intrigue and level of interest kind of plateaued. The secondary characters where all over the place. Jordan's role was unclear, he was beyond moody and his friendship with Dan was just confusing. Abby's mood changes and overall behavior was just odd. Even though it was sorta explained at the end I did not find enough resolution in it.
What truly changed the book from a 4 or 5 star book to a 3 star book was the ending. There was so much build up with so little resolve. I felt like I had more questions after finishing the story. I DISLIKED the villain, the choice made sense but the actions and reasoning behind the villain's actions did not make sense. It all felt forced and a bit convoluted.
I am not jumping up and down to recommend this one. The beginning held promise. A well done story about students staying in a renovated mental asylum has great potential. I think with a different ending I would have enjoyed the story but Asylum did not live up to the potential.
I could totally see why you gave it a 3 stars. The ending ended abruptly instead of gradually. The secondary characters were kind of weird... Despite that, I really enjoyed how the book was creepy and mysterious. Maybe there will be a sequel to it? If there is, I hope it's better!
ReplyDeleteI agree with ya there, I found the creepiness well done and it was mysterious but I felt that some of the mystery wasn't explained well enough
DeleteI'm so bummed that this book isn't amazing! I had so much hope for it, but oh well.
ReplyDeleteI got this one recently from the library and now I'm not sure whether I want to read it. The premise is so intriguing, but I hate when books just sort of end without any real resolution. Unless a sequel is planned, but still. Thanks for the honest review! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteIt is a huge pet peeve of mine, if you end up reading it I definitely would love to read what you think of certain parts, especially the villain
DeleteWhat a shame, especially since the beginning was so full of potential. I love the idea of pictures in a book to add more creepiness to it, but an unsatisfying ending in such a story is meh..
ReplyDelete